When wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders arrived at his new team's facilities in Santa Clara, after a night of studying with his former teammate turned receivers coach, Wes Welker, he started to meet the San Francisco 49ers players and coaches. One coach who left an immediate impression on him was head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is unlike any head coach he's played for.
Shanahan won't turn 40 until December. He is the second-youngest head coach in the NFL (Sean McVay is 33), just younger than Kliff Kingsbury (turned 40 in August), and Matt LaFleur (turns 40 in November). The head coach of Shanahan's opponent on Sunday, Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers, is 57.
Shanahan easily relates to his players when it comes to life experience and even pop culture. He is just three years older than the team's oldest player, kicker Robbie Gould, and just seven years — and some change — older than Sanders.
"I really didn't know too much about [Shanahan] prior to just him being a coach but getting here and just seeing how he is, seeing him today, just very laid back, funny guy, light guy, light on his toes," Sanders said on Wednesday. "I noticed in the team meeting, I was like, 'I can't wait to get home and tell my wife the head coach is wearing Yeezys, man.' I was like, 'That's cool, man. That's cool. This is one cool coach.'
"Just the environment here is just so light, but at the end of the day, we have a concentration. We have a focus on the task at hand. I can tell that his team is a reflection of him, and it's cool to see."
The environment, a young and fun one built on mutual respect, has helped the 49ers flourish. Even during two losing seasons, San Francisco remained a tight-knit group. It is even more so after starting this season 6-0.
Center Weston Richburg joined 95.7 The Game on Wednesday and discussed the dynamic between Shanahan, the coaches, and the players, and why it has been so important for the team.
"I think that's the case with a lot of our coaching staff," Richburg told Damon Bruce, Ray Ratto, and Matt Kolsky. "They're younger guys, and they relate to us really well. They treat us like coworkers, really. It's not like an older guy talking to a kid. It's like coworkers working together, trying to, obviously, go win games, and it makes it really fun for us as players to be around coaches like that."
Whether it be the music blasting at practice or the way their coaches interact with them, the players are having a lot of fun at work. Being undefeated doesn't hurt, either.
Oh, and if you are wondering who the fastest 49ers offensive lineman is — and who the slowest might be — listen to the entire conversation with Richburg below.